Too little too late
by ANNAFLORINDA
Summary: For years, Clark and Lois were friends, but from the moment they met, there was something more between them. By the time Clark realizes this, however, it's too late. How will their relationship and relationships with other characters develop and what will happen? Clark/Lois, Lois/Oliver, Chloe/Jimmy, Clark/Lana, Clark/Chloe, Lana/Jason T
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The failure of see the spark.

Clark Kent met Lois Lane one the first day of his last year at secondary school, as she was Chloe's cousin. The two of them formed a friendship.

In the early stages of this friendship, Chloe had noticed that there was something more between her cousin and best friend; something which of which she thought they were both aware. Lois and Clark had feelings for each other. She could see it and Clark's parents could see it. Were the two of them ever aware that they were flirting with each other?

For purely selfish reasons, Chloe decided not to say anything and hoped that the two of them would work it out for themselves.

No such thing happened: by the end of the school year, Clark was back to dating Lana Lang and, for once, they were happy together. The only sign of jealousy of Lois's showed was mocking their relationship, but that was the extent of it.

Inhaling a deep breathe, Lois walked up the steps to Clark's barn. Her boyfriend, AC, had just left. After making a joke about college, she sighed and remarked, "I'm sorry that I got mad with you when you told me about A.C. It's just," she paused and bit her lip, "I've never had someone to help me out like that." There was feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she didn't know what it was.

Clark smiled and walked over to her. "I think I was wrong about him; he was a bit misguided, but his heart was in the right place. He was a good guy."

Lois smiled, more to herself than to Clark and remarked, "He was unique. He was the first guy I've met who actually wanted to do good for this world-not own it, like a crazy lunatic." She turned away, as she could not bear to look anyone in the eye at the moment, with the fear that she may burst into tears. "How am I ever going to meet someone like that again?" she asked, in a voice so soft that Clark barely heard her. Her arms were folded, almost as if to protect herself.

Slowly, Clark walked over to her and whispered, "Lois, I promise you, someday you'll meet someone even more special." As he said that, Lois let her hands drop to her side, but finding herself feeling uncomfortable, settled them on the railing. She turned her head and smiled slightly at him, but said nothing. She could not bring herself to say anything to him.

Lois now knew what the feeling had been in the pit of stomach: she had feelings for Clark. As she thought about it, she had done since the very first time they met, over a year ago. Why had she not worked it out before now? Did he feel the same way?

Almost a year later, Lois met Oliver Queen and they began dating and she dispelled all of her feelings and thoughts of Clark, besides Clark was still dating Lana, so he obviously didn't feel that way about her.

One evening, when Lois and Oliver were having dinner together, Oliver bent down on his knee before her and asked, "Lois Joanne Lane, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

Tears formed in her eyes; she loved Ollie, she really did, but she needed to make sure that she entered this marriage with no regrets and in order to do that, she needed to talk to Clark.

She excused herself from Oliver and made her way to Smallville. She went to Clark's barn and when she heard people approaching, she hid behind a bale of hay, her courage suddenly failing her.

The voices of Clark and Chloe became clear.

"Clark, if you're having doubts about your relationship with Lana, then you should talk to her." Chloe stated, in a very matter-of-fact way.

Lois heard Clark inhale and exhale deep breaths, before he said, "It's not that-there's something that's been bugging me for nearly two years now, Chloe." He fell silence for a moment, then whispered, "I think I'm in love with Lois."

The shock Lois felt as she heard those words was unimaginable and she continued to listen to what Clark said next:

"I think I am, Chloe, but it can never come to anything."

"Why?" Chloe asked, unaware of her cousin's presence.

"Because Lois isn't Lana. I love Lana and she's my first and true love. My love for Lois has only just started."

Before he could say anything more, Lois slipped out of the barn without being seen or heard by Clark, but Chloe did and she bit her lip; she knew that Lois had heard.

When Lois had left the barn, Clark continued, with a heavy sigh, "No, I tell a lie. My love for Lana may have been with me for ages, but something tells me that it won't last; our relationship has been on and off for years…somehow, I don't think that we're destined to be together and I haven't told her my secret. When I'm with Lois, it's different. I feel as if I can be myself and everything will be ok." He sat down and ran his hands through his hair. "My love for Lana is something which will change, it will be changed by time, but my love for Lois feels as if it could be eternal-ever lasting. As if she could be the person I'm destined to be with." There was a long silence. "Why have I only just worked this out? Does Lois feel the same way?"

Chloe bit her lip, as she wasn't sure what to say to Clark, but then Martha and Johnathan walked into the barn and the latter remarked, "I just saw Lois running out of here. She looked rather upset. Is she ok, son?"

In shock, Clark turned back to his friend, fear in his eyes. In a frantic whisper, he asked, "When did she leave, Chloe? Please, tell me!"

"I-I think she left after you said that the two of you could never be together and that she didn't compare, in your eyes, with Lana." replied Chloe, in the same tone, tears filling her own eyes.

Ignoring his mum and dad, Clark declared, "I have to find her. Try her on her mobile. If you get hold of her, tell her that I need to talk to her." With that, he super-sped of the barn and searched everywhere for Lois, whilst Chloe called her cousin, but received no reply.

Lois drove back to where Oliver was and walked up to his flat, prepared to do what she was about to do. She stopped at the door, as she saw Oliver standing in silence, with tears in his eyes. He was looking at a photo of his parents.

Lois had never met them, as they had died when Oliver had been 10. Lois had lost her mum at a young age, but she still had her dad and should not image what losing both parents had been like for Oliver, especially as he had no siblings.

"Oliver." She made her presence known.

Oliver turned to face her and wiped away the tears which had fallen from his eyes. He walked over to her, carefully, as if he were afraid of something. Without saying a word, he embraced her into a tight hug.

Upon releasing her, he said, "Lois, I know you're answers a 'no', so I just-I just want to let you know that I love you and I know that my being the Green Arrow is a part of your rejection."

Looking deep into his eyes, Lois asked, "Why do you think I'm going to say 'no'?"

"Because of how you reacted, Lois." His voice was tight and she could tell that he was on the verge of tears.

Taking hold of his hands, she whispered, "Ollie, I love you more than I can express and the fact that you're the Green Arrow just adds excitement to my life." She laughed, but then became serious again. "I can't think of anyone else with whom I want to grow old or have children."

Oliver looked very shocked, but he smiled and asked, "So, that's a yes?"

In reply, Lois kissed him passionately on the lips and he kissed her back with equal passion. It was this kiss which reminded Lois of how much she loved Oliver and that he wasn't her second choice.

After their moment of passion, Oliver asked, "So, what kind of wedding do you want?"

A great smile spread across Lois's face. "Well, I was thinking that I should call my dad and Lucy and we should just get married right now: elope."

"Really? Is that what you want?"

"Yes. I just want to be your wife." She whispered with a smile.

It was arranged and within the hour, the two of them were standing together by a minister, with Lois's dad and sister there. Lois knew that her phone was ringing, but she knew that it was Chloe, so she didn't want to answer; she wanted to move on with her life and focus on her love for Oliver.

Oliver and Lois joined their hands together and the vows began:

"I, Oliver Jonas Queen, take thee, Lois Joanne Lane, as my lawfully wedding wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and health, till death do us part." Lois could see tears forming in his eyes and she knew that tears were falling down her face.

Inhaling a deep breath and looking into his eyes for comfort and strength, she stated: "I, Lois Joanne Lane, take thee, Oliver Jonas Queen, as my lawfully wedding husband, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, till death do us part."

Oliver slipped a ring on her finger and she slipped one of his finger and they shared their first kiss, as husband and wife.

Early the next morning, Clark returned, exhausted. He had searched the entire state of Kansas and Metropolis for Lois, but he had been unable to find her. He found Chloe in the barn, with her mobile. There were tears running down her face.

Clark ran over to her and asked, "What is it? Is she ok? Chloe?"

When he received no response, he grabbed her mobile phone and read the message which was up. It was from Lois. It read:

'Chlo, Oliver and I have eloped in Monte Carlo. When we come back, we'll be husband and wife. '

A dreadful sense of guilt filled Clark, as he read the message over again and again. Tears filled his eyes and he dropped the phone, unable to comprehend the idea that Lois was married to Oliver. He liked Oliver and he was a good friend, but that wasn't the point.

Unable to face anyone-even Chloe and his parents-he supersped away to the other side of the world, texting Lana to say that he had to go away for a while, but that he loved her and he always would.

He didn't send a text to Lois. He could not bear it. She was married to Oliver and she was happy. There was nothing he could do to change that.


	2. Chapter 2:How things have changed

Chapter 2: How things have changed

Five years passed before Clark returned to Smallville. When he returned, he found that Lana was still waiting for him; he had not expected her to do so, but he was grateful that she had.

Lois had now been Lois Queen for five years and she and Oliver had led a very happy life; they had a 4 year old daughter, whom they had named after Oliver's mum, Laura, a 3-year-old son, named Robert and a baby daughter, Ella, who was named after Lois's mum. They were very happy with their three children. Never for a moment did Lois regret marrying Oliver-she knew that Clark loved Lana and that he would never love her. She had convinced herself that her love for him was gone.

Chloe was also married to Jimmy; they had married about a year after Lois and Oliver had married and they had a 3-year-old son, named Clark Olsen. Chloe had decided to name her son after her best friend, as she had been unsure if she would ever see him again.

On a Saturday morning, when Lois was playing with Robert and Ella and Oliver was picking Laura up from ballet, Chloe and Jimmy rushed in, looking flustered. Jimmy placed little Clark with Robert and Ella.

As the three children played, Lois walked her cousin and cousin-in-law to the kitchen and asked, in a snappy voice, "What are you guys doing? I'm trying to have some quality time with my children and"-

"Lana came to see me." Chloe stated, looking at Lois in a meaningful way. There was a pause, then she continued, "She came to see me this morning and she says that he's back and he wants to see you."

"Well, it took him four years to come and say congratulations, so I should hope so." replied her cousin, in a very flippant manner, but in reality, she was panicking. Why did Clark have to show up now, just when her life was perfect? She had a wonderful husband and three beautiful children. Why did he return now? She knew that Chloe knew that she was thinking.

The door opened and one of the security called for Lois, so she and Chloe walked to the door and Jimmy went to check on the children. "Mrs. Queen, there's a Mr. Clark Kent here to see you and Mrs. Olsen, but he doesn't have an appointment. Should we let him up?"

Lois nodded. In order to have physical comfort, she picked up her youngest daughter and held the little girl in her arms.

Clark came up and his eyes instantly fell on the baby girl in Lois's arms and on the three boys on the floor. Then his eyes went to Lois's and he found the same, warm eyes he had always found. "Lois," he forced a smile, he had not expected her and Oliver to have children. "How-how old are the children?"

Knowing why he was asking, Lois replied, "Well, Laura's 4 and she's out with Oliver, Robert's 3 and Ella, here, is a couple of months old." She kissed her youngest daughter and the baby responded by reached out for her mum's hair. Lois took hold of her fingers and kissed them.

Clark found himself transfixed with Lois as a mother, then he saw the other child on the floor and for the first time, he became aware that Chloe and Jimmy were in the room. He walked over to Chloe and hugged her and, upon seeing her wedding ring, exclaimed, "You got married!"

"Yeah," Jimmy replied, walking over with their son, "Yeah. 4 years. And this is our son, Clark."

"You named him Clark?"

Chloe nodded. "You are my best friend, after all." Chloe smiled.

Lois put Ella down in her playpen, then walked over to Clark and gave him a brief hug, before asking, "How are you, Smallville? Have you spoken to your mum or Lana?"

Stepping away from Lois, he answered, "Yeah. Yeah, they're both fine, thanks."

He sat down and talked to Lois, Chloe and Jimmy about their jobs; Lois and Chloe were both journalists, though Lois worked part-time, so that she could spend time with Laura, Robert and Ella-and with Oliver, she added in a stern voice. Jimmy was also working as a part-time photographer and he spent a great deal of time with little Clark. Clark felt honoured that Chloe and Jimmy had named their son after him and he was glad that they were together.

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Oliver and Laura. Laura ran over to her mum and she climbed her way onto her knee. Oliver walked over to Clark and embraced him like an old friend, which Clark supposed he indeed was.

Half an hour later, Oliver asked Clark to help him with something in the kitchen, which Clark knew was code.

"So, how have you been? Really, Clark?" Oliver seemed genuinely concerning.

Sitting down, Clark replied, "I've been fine, thanks. Out fighting crime. Are you still the Green Arrow?" He hadn't seen the papers for four years.

Oliver laughed. "Of course I am."

Clark was silent for a moment, then he inquired, "Does Lois know?"

Sitting down next to him, Oliver answered, "Of course she knows: she's my wife."

There was a silence, then Clark observed, "I didn't expect you and Lois to have so many kids-maybe one, but not three." He saw a shadow fall across Oliver's face and was worried that he had touched a nerve, but his friend didn't seem offended.

"Well, we had Laura a year after we were married and that pregnancy and birth was easy. Then we had Robert and Lois had to have a section, because they couldn't get him out. Thank God they did. We-er-we had another baby, about a year ago. Her name was Demi." Oliver looked down at his hands. "Her birth was normal and she and Lois were fine, but she-she passed away when she was about 6 months old and Lois and I agreed that we didn't want anyone more children. Then, about 11 months ago, we discovered that she was pregnant again. Ella's birth-was-well, we thought that we were going to lose both Lois and Ella, because of a heart condition Lois developed after Demi's death. I love my children, and I'm glad that I can't have anymore; I was recently diagnosed with a condition which means that I can't have children, but its fine, because I have the girls and Robert. And I have Lois. What more could I ask for?"

Clark was very surprised that Oliver had shared so much about his relationship with Lois and about their children, but he guessed that Oliver didn't know the nature of his relationship with Lois-or what it had been 5 years ago, anyway.

A couple of weaks later, Oliver and Lois were throwing a party in their home and they invited Clark and Lana. Lana refused to go, because she and Clark were "taking a break", but Clark agreed to go.

Upon hearing this news, Chloe went to the Kent Farm to talk to him, leaving little Clark with Lois, as Jimmy was working.

"Clark, why are you going?"

Annoyed with his friend, he replied, "Because I haven't spoken to Lois at all and I need to try."

Staring at him, Chloe demanded, "Try and do what, Clark? She's married!"

Clark glared at Chloe and shouted, "Look, I let Lois slip through my fingers and I won't do it again! I love her. I've always loved her. Why do you think I stayed away for so long? Because I couldn't bear to see her with Oliver! It hurts too much, Chloe and it kills me and I have to try. She may still love me!"

Chloe walked around the table and sat next to him. Sighing, she remarked, "You know, Clark, Lois and Oliver haven't exactly had the best of times; they had a daughter who died, Demi. Lois really loves him and-I hate to say this-but she doesn't love you anymore. You never made your feelings clear and it's too late, Clark. Lois is happy. You need to move on. You have Lana and I'm sure that she'll make a wonderful wife for you." Taking hold of his hand, Chloe whispered, "You need to move on, Clark." She stood up, picked up her handbag and left the farm.

"Lois!" she called, as she walked into Oliver and Lois's flat. "Lois, are you there?"

Her cousin walked into the sitting room. "Yeah, I just dropped the kids of at my dad's, because of the party tonight."

Inhaling a deep breathe, Chloe sighed. "Yeah, about that. Clark's gonna come."

Her cousin rolled her eyes and snapped, "Chloe, for the last time, I'm not in love with Clark anymore. I'm with Ollie, I love him, so stop this. Clark is my friend." Knowing what her cousin's reply to that was going to be, she added, "I've been busy, so that's why I haven't see him!" With that, she walked off, before Chloe could say another word.

Later that night, because of the atmosphere of the party, Lois walked onto the balcony for some fresh air. She felt someone behind her and thought that it was Oliver. She turned around to find that it was Clark.

"What are you doing out here, Smallville?" she inquired.

Smiling, Clark replied, "I want to talk you to," Before Lois could voice any objection, he began, "What I said in the barn those years ago, about you not being Lana, what I meant was"-

Lois backed away from him. "You know what? I'm really not interesting in digging up old skeletons. What was said, was said and that's that."

"So, are you telling me that what I said didn't hurt you? Are you that unfeeling, Lois?" Clark knew that he was being harsh, but he wanted to get a reaction from her.

Lois punched him and not in the way which she had playfully done years earlier-had he been human, it would have hurt. Glaring at him, she hissed, "Don't you dare thing that, Kent? What you said broke my heart, but I've moved on with my life and you need to do the same. Now, grow up!"

There was a silence and for the first time in 5 years, their eyes properly met. Clark's eyes searched her and he leaned in to kiss her, for which she slapped him around the face. He fell back in shock, but the pain was mental; she was no longer loved him, he could see it in her eyes.

This scene was interrupted by Oliver's entrance. He looked sad, as if something were deeply troubling him.

"Oliver, what's wrong?" Lois asked her husband, as she took hold of his hands,

Squeezing her hands, Oliver whispered, "It's Jimmy. He was at work, that's why he wasn't here tonight and…he's dead, Lois. He's dead." His voice shook as he delivered the news and Lois pulled him into her arms.

Clark ran into the party and found Chloe, who looked as white as a sheet. He pulled her into a hug and she cried into his chest. Crying for her lost husband.

As Oliver and Lois prepared themselves for bed, Lois watched her husband and she was worried about him, as he had not spoken a word since he had informed her of Jimmy's death and she had been focusing on caring for her cousin. "Ollie, what's wrong?" she asked in a soft voice, as she sat down next to him.

Instead of replying, Oliver handed her a copy of the 'Daily Planet.' It was from about for years ago, but Lois read it:

'In the early hours of this morning, Tess Queen, the wife of Oliver Queen, was found dead at the Daily Planet. The cause of her death has been put down to a terrible miscarriage from which she suffered and it is suspected that she lost too much blood.'

Lois stopped reading, tears filling her eyes. Oliver had lost both his wife and his child. She hugged him and they lay together, in silence, holding each other. Lois fell asleep in this position, feeling happy and loved.

Much later that evening, Clark knocked on the door of Lana's flat and waited. She was going to snap at him, but upon seeing his condense, she told him to come inside. They sat together and he told her about what had happened to Jimmy.

"How's Chloe?" was Lana's first question, as she wiped away her tears.

Sighing, Clark answered, "She's as good as can be expected, I guess. She's staying with Lois and Oliver tonight and she's going to go and pick up little Clark first thing in the morning. She's being so strong." He took hold of Lana's hand and whispered, "I can't take anything for granted anymore. I know that now. Lana, I love you so much."

Squeezing his hand, she whispered, "I love you too, Clark."

"Lana, will you marry me?"

Tears filled her eyes again. She nodded and they kissed and embraced. Clark knew that he would be happy with Lana, but not as happy as he would have been with Lois. Lana was his second choice.

A weak later, a couple of days after Jimmy's funeral, Clark and Lana took their wedding vows in the Church in Smallville. They promised to love each other till death parted them.

Clark looked for Lois's face in the crowd. He found her, smiling, with Oliver by her side. A chapter was ending and a new one was beginning, or that's what Clark told himself.


	3. Chapter 3: Lack of disclosure and trust

**_I do not own Smallville or the characters. _**

**_Please review :)_**

Chapter 3: Lack of disclosure and trust.

Since their wedding four years before, Clark and Lana had lived in Paris, as neither of them had wanted to go back to Smallville (for different reasons, of course). Martha and Lana's aunt, Nell, and father, Henry, saw them very frequently. Chloe, too, often came to see them, with little Clark, who was now seven and he looked a great deal like his dad.

Clark and Lana now had five children together; 9 months after their marriage, Lana had given birth to their first child, a baby boy, whom they had named John, after Clark's dad. The following year, Lana had given birth to their second child, a girl, whom they had named Cara. In their third year of marriage, they had had two sons; first, they had had Lewis Kent, named after Lana's adoptive dad and William Kent, named after Martha's father. Their fifth and final child had been born a couple of months before. It had been a girl and they had named her Lois. Clark and Lana had a very happy marriage, but Clark had still not told Lana about his powers.

John was 4, Cara was 3, Lewis and William were 2 and little Lois was a couple of months old. John and Lewis looked almost identical to their dad. Cara looked like Clark's cousin, Kara, after whom she had been named. Lewis took after Lana's father, Henry, in terms of looks and little Lois was almost a copy of her mother. Lana knew that she should not have had favourite children, but the children with whom she was closest were her daughters.

One evening, Clark and Lana were slow-dancing together and Lana rested her head on her husband's chest, as it made her feel safe and loved, as she knew she was. As they were dancing, they slowed down to nearly a stop. Lana raised her head and looked up at her husband, her eyes full of tears.

"What's wrong, darling?" Clark asked, wondering if she were pregnant once again.

Lana smiled and replied, in a soft voice, "Yes, I've never been happier, Clark. I have five beautiful children and I have you. What could make me happier?" She paused, then added, "There is one thing which I would like to do, though, before the kids get older."

Smiling at his beloved wife, he asked, "And what's that?"

Lana hesitated, as she knew that there was something which made him not want to go home. "I want to go back to Smallville; it's where we both grew up, your mum's there, so's my dad, Lex, Chloe…I just-I want to go home, Clark, please. We've build up our lives and I always said that, once I'd done that, I wanted to go home, to where our lives began."

Clark saw the pleading look in her eyes. He nodded. "Fine, we'll go home and stay with Mum, with the kids, whilst we find a place to live." He kissed her and then they resumed his dance. The reason that he didn't want to go back to Smallville was because he knew that both Lois and Oliver spent a great deal of time there and the idea of being so close to Lois scared him, especially now that he was married with children.

Chloe and little Clark had relocated to Smallville after Jimmy's death, as Chloe felt more at home there and her dad was there and Martha, who was almost like little Clark's grandmother; Chloe had tried to contact her mother after Jimmy's death, but her mother had not been interested and Chloe had not wanted to expose her son to that.

Despite living in Smallville, she and Lois were very close and she was very close to Laura, Robert and Ella. Laura was now 8-years-old, Robert was 7, the same age as little Clark, and Ella was now 4. Chloe had no desire to marry again, as her main focuses were her son, Lois and her children and her work. She and Oliver were also good friends.

Lois's sister, Lucy, was now married to Lex Luthor and they had two sons together, Julian, named after Lex's brother, who was 5, and Apollo, who was 3. Clark and Lex had kept in contact and they were good friends.

Clark and Lana moved back to Smallville, with their five children. As they entered the farm house, John, Cara, Lewis and William raced over to their grandma Martha and she took them upstairs in order to organise sleeping arrangements.

As Clark and Lana began to unpack in the kitchen, there was a knock on the door and Lois and Chloe came in. Lois gave Lana a hug and Chloe hugged both of her friends.

"Who's this little one?" Lois asked, as she took the baby girl out of Lana's arms so that she could focus on packing.

Smiling, Lana replied, "Actually, her name's Lois. Lois Chloe Kent." She smiled to herself.

Speechless and unsure of how to receive this news, Lois's eyes fell on Clark's and for a while neither of them said anything, until Chloe remarked, "Well, let's hope that she isn't as annoying as her namesake." She laughed and the others laughed along with her, but Lois and Clark were visibly tense and this didn't go unnoticed by the former's cousin-nor by the latter's wife.

Lana shook her head and convinced herself that she was imagining things. "How are Oliver and the kids, Lois?" she tried to make her voice sound cheerful, but she felt some resentment towards the woman whom she had formerly considered a friend.

"They're fine, thanks. Robert has his first big football game in about a month. How are your kids?"

All four adults talked of their children and nothing more for a while, but Clark watched his wife nervously, knowing that she had seen the look exchanged between him and Lois.

That evening, when Clark was spending time with the children in the barn, Lana decided to go and talk to her mother-in-law. She approached the older woman, who working in the kitchen.

"Mrs. Kent, may I have a word, please?"

"Lana, you've been married to my son for four years-call me Martha." The older woman smiled affectionately at her, as the two of them sat down on the sofa.

Before speaking, Lana ran her feelings through her head and, unconsciously, fiddled with her wedding ring. "I've been married to Clark for four years and I've bene with him for longer than that. We have five children together and yet, I-I feel as if there are some things about which he won't open; things which I can't explain. And what's the story between him and Lois?"

"He and Lois are very good friends." replied Martha, carefully, as she was very aware that there had always been something more between them.

Lana shook her head. "There are things about him which I can't explain and I-I worry that he isn't really the man I married, the man I fell in love with." There were tears in her eyes now and she brushed them away. "Please, can you help me?"

An hour later, Nell heard knocking on her door and found that it was Lana. Her niece cried and fell into her arms, weeping that she no longer knew what to do. Martha had told her everything about Clark…and about his powers.

The next morning, when Clark asked his mum where Lana was, she replied that she didn't know, as she hoped that Lana just needed some time or space to process all of it.

Leaving John, Cara, Lewis, William and little Lois with his mum, Clark went to Chloe and her son's flat over the Talon, but there were not there, so he raced to Metropolis to where Lois and Oliver lived, with their children. He was determined to find out where his wife was, but he knew that she had not been kidnapped, because most of her clothes and belongings had gone.

"Chloe! Chloe!" Clark yelled, as he entered Oliver and Lois's flat.

Oliver walked into the room, followed by his children and little Clark. He made them comfortable and informed his friend, "She isn't here, Clark; she and Lois have gone for a girls' day." As he walked closer, he saw how distressed his friend seemed and he asked, in a concerned voice, "Are you ok, Clark?"

Clark shook his head. "No. No, I'm not. Lana's gone. I don't think she's been kidnapped, 'cause all of her stuff's gone. The last time I saw her was last night and she seemed really distant and distracted and when I woke up this morning, she was gone. Where could she be?"

"Will she have the mobile on?" Oliver asked, walking over to his computer.

Nodding, Clark replied, "Yeah, but how will that help?"

"If you give me her number and it's on, I can track her down. It's a clever trick I learnt from my cousin-in-law."

Clark handed him in mobile phone and Oliver typed Lana's number into the search engine and waited. As the programme loaded, Oliver remarked, "Look, Clark, this is not of my business, but does Lana know about you? About your powers, I mean and what you can do?"

There was a silence, then Clark replied, "No. No, but that wouldn't make her leave me. She loves me, with or without my powers." By his friend's face, he knew that he was wrong, but before he had any more time to dwell on the possibility that his relationship with Lana may be over, her whereabouts flashed up, so Clark thanked Oliver and supersped back to Smallville, where Lana was.

In Nell's flat, alone, as Lana brushed out her hair, there was a knock on the door. Suspecting that it may be Clark, Lana rolled her eyes, tied her hair up into a bobble, then unlocked the door and opened it. "Clark, come on. Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks. Are you ok?"

Turning to face him, Lana asked, "Clark, why did you marry me?"

Clark stared at her, confused. "Lana, I married you because I loved you. You're the only one I've ever loved and you always have been."

"I didn't ask that." She observed, in a dry voice. Walking over to the sofa, she asked, "So, if you loved me, why have you lied to me for all of these years?"

Sighing, Clark shook his head. "I wasn't sure how you'd react and I wanted to keep you safe-I didn't want to put you in danger, I love you too much to ever do that and how did you find out?"

Lana glared at him. "How I found out doesn't matter-you should have told me, Clark. We're husband and wife, we're supposed to be honest with each other!" She had stormed over to him, furious and her voice had risen to a shout. Inhaling a deep breath, she whispered, "And what about Lois, does she know?"

"No."

"How long have you been in love with her?"

Clark exhaled a deep breath. "Lana, there was a time when I was in love with Lois, but I was also in love with you and I choose you, Lana! You!"

Throwing her hairbrush on the floor, his wife bellowed, "You only married me because Lana married Oliver Queen! I was your second choice!" Fury and hatred filled her eyes, then she hissed, "Get out, Clark. Get out!"

Clark did as he was told and left Nell's flat without exchanging another word with his wife.

A weak later, Clark decided to work late at 'The Dailey Planet'. He had not heard from Lana, but both his mum and Chloe had told him not to ring or go to see her.

He was brought out of his daydream by the entrance of Lois, as she sat down next to his computer. "Chloe told me what happened between you and Lana," she began, "I wish there were something I could say, but…"

"Yeah, well-not everyone has a marriage like you and Oliver!" Clark snapped bitterly and unkindly.

Lois sighed and replied, "Look, this may come as a surprise to you, Smallville, but…after-after Demi died, Ollie and I were grieving in different ways and it was hard to reach each other. For about a month after her death, we barley spoke to each other, but we worked it out." She smiled. "You and Lana will do the same. The two of you are destined for each other and I'm sure that you'll bring loads more of Clark and Lana juniors into the world." She stood up.

Clark turned off the computer and stood up too. He turned to look at Lois and whispered, "You're a good friend, Lois. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Their eyes met and Lois felt the strangest sensation rippling through her: that feeling which told her that she was still in love with Clark. As the silence filled the room, their faces began to draw closer, but, catching herself on, Lois punched him in the playful way in which she had done before marrying Oliver nine years ago and she offered to drive him home, as he was in no fit state to drive.

Upon returning to his family home, Clark and Lois stepped into the sitting room and found that the T.V was on, which Clark thought was rather strange, as his children and his mum had gone to bed hours ago. He clicked the remote and a video of Lana came onto the screen. Glancing at Lois, he clicked 'play' and watched, whilst Lois stepped back into the kitchen, not wanting to intrude.

"Clark," Lana's face was very close to the camera and Clark could see that tears stained her face, "I love you, you know that, and you love me, I've always known that. But I-I feel as if I'm your second choice and I don't want to be that-if you love Lois, tell her-don't play a guessing game with her. I thought I knew you, but I found out about you and that's all I can think about; how you lied to me for all of these years. If you'd just be honest with me, things may not have ended this way. I'm going to ask for a divorce and I'm moving back to Paris. Tell my children that I love them and that I'll come back and see them someday, when I'm ready." A new coat of tears fell down her face, as she whispered, "I love you, Clark, and I think a part of me always will, but you never loved me as much. Goodbye." The camera was turned off and the video ended.

Forgetting that Lois was there and that she had heard everything, Clark sat on the sofa and allowed himself to cry; he had lost Lana forever, the mother of his children and he could never be with Lois, because she was married.

Lois decided to pretend that she had just entered the house, though she had heard everything and what she had heard had been made her feel cold. Clark still loved her? Why had he not told her sooner? Why had he told Lana before he had told her and how was she supposed to act around him now, knowing that she felt the same way about him? She walked over him and wrapped her arms around him and he cried onto her shoulders and for that moment, Lois forgot about her love for him and she was just his friend, comforting him.


	4. Chapter 4: The beginning of the end

Chapter 4: The beginning of the end.

A month passed before Clark and Lana were officially divorced. Clark had shut himself away from everyone apart from his mum, his children and Chloe. The loss of Lana had affected him more than he had expected it to; he truly had loved her and every time he saw Cara and little Lois, he was reminded of their mother and that really hurt him. All he had told his children was that Lana had gone away for a while, but that she loved them and that she would see them again soon. He didn't know himself if his children would ever see their mother again-or even if she wanted to see them, but he couldn't tell them that.

One Saturday morning, Martha, Nell and Henry had taken the children out, including little Clark, and Clark was spending the day with Chloe; the two friends were sitting on the sofa, cuddling, watching films. As the first film came to an end, Chloe asked, "Clark, now that you and Lana aren't together, you're not planning on making a move on Lois, are you?" It had been a thought which had been in the back of her mind for a couple of weeks.

Her best friend replied by saying that he would never do such a thing, as Lois and Oliver were married and they were happy together-he sometimes wished that they had an unhappy marriage, as it would have made things easier for him, but he did not express these thoughts to Chloe, as he knew that she would interpret them in the "wrong way."

As they began the second film, there was a knock on the door and Lois and Oliver came in and the former explained, "Robert's training here for his big match next week, so we figured we'd come and say hello." She noticed the way in which her cousin and Clark were sitting together and decided not to remark, but it did make her wonder; she knew that, years ago, her cousin had been in love with Clark.

"Where are the kids?" Clark asked, as he moved along the sofa, so that there was space for at least one more person to sit next to him and he hoped that it wasn't Lois; he had been avoiding her for a month, ever since Lana had requested a divorce. Lois replied that Laura and Ella were with her dad, in Metropolis. She smiled at her friend, but he stared blankly at her and gave her no response.

The two cousins sat down on the sofa and Clark was relieved that Oliver asked him how to work the coffee machine, as it meant that he did not have to sit next to Lois.

When they were in the kitchen, Oliver asked, "So, how are you, Clark? Seriously?"

Clark was touched about how concerned his friend was about him and privately mused that he would not be this nice if he knew that he was in love with his wife. "I'm…doing ok. I mean, I still can't believe that Lana left me because of my powers. She obviously wasn't the accepting person I thought she was." He finished in a whisper.

He was surprised to see that Oliver did indeed know how to work the coffee machine-it had been a ploy in order to talk to him and this, once again, made him feel touched. "Clark, after Tess died... I was a mess. She left me a couple of weeks and asked for a divorce, but then she died. If you ever want to talk to me, I'm here for you and so's Lois."

"Thanks, Oliver." Clark smiled, then he inquired. "So, is Robert looking forwards to the game?"

Chuckling, his friend answered, "Yeah, he's really excited and I'm glad. To begin with, I thought that, maybe, I was pushing him into it, but he loves it."

"Do-do your kids ever ask about your parents?" Clark asked, in a careful voice. "It's just John and Cara asked me where my dad was, their grandfather, and I ended up telling him that he died a couple of years ago." He swallowed. "I suppose, its better they ask me than my mum. My dad's been dead since I was 19 and I'm 29 now, so that's 10 years, and yet, my mum still doesn't seem able to move on. Don't you think that's strange?"

The smile from Oliver's face faded. He sighed. "Well, my mum and dad died at the same time, so my mum didn't have that problem. I found the plane wreck and I found their wedding rings, so I moulded them into a ring, which I always have with me." He stayed silent for a moment, then continued, "They died when I was 11,the year I started at secondary school. I can still remember how I felt when I was told. I just told Laura, Robert and Ella that their grandparents died many years ago, when I was young." He forced a smile, then asked, "Do you know that it's Lois's 31st birthday in a couple of days?"

Clark smiled back and shook his head. "No, I didn't know that." He sighed; he couldn't believe that Lois was nearly 31-he had now known her since he had been 18, for eleven years. Eleven wasted years and she and Oliver had been married for nine of those. He had had two years with her and he had done nothing.

Oliver's phone rang.

He answered it and Clark saw his face turning white as the person on the other end spoke; he was even more surprise to see tears forming in his friend's eyes. Oliver said a word of thanks, in a broken voice, before hanging up. He avoided Clark's eyes and walked over to where Lois and Chloe were sitting, watching a romantic comedy. Clark followed, wondering what was going on and what had caused Oliver to be so upset.

Upon seeing her husband in such a state, Lois turned off the T.V and walked over to him. "Ollie, what's wrong? Ollie!" she begged him with her voice and eyes to speak, to tell her what had happened.

Oliver guided her to a chair, knelt down beside her so that their faces were level and took hold of her hands. Clark and Chloe stood in such a place so that they could see Lois's faces.

Inhaling a deep breath, Oliver began, in the same broken voice, "Lois, Robert's coach just called. There was-there was an accident. They called an ambulance, but they were too late."

"I don't understand." Lois whispered, her eyes showing both panic and fear at the same time.

Tears falling down his face, her husband whispered back, "Robert's dead, Lois. He's gone."

With those five words, something inside of Lois snapped and silent tears fell down her face. She was unable to speak or make any sound of any description.

Meanwhile, Clark pulled Chloe into his arms and she buried her face into his shirt, as she cried for the loss of a boy whom she had loved and the boy who had been very close to her own son.

Oliver tried to embrace his wife into a hug, but Lois pushed him away and there was hate in her eyes and this hate was directed at him. She stood up and he did the same.

"Lois. Lois, sit back down." He begged.

Facing her husband, as she sobbed, she whispered, "You did this, Oliver Queen! You pushed him to do football-YOU KILLED HIM!" Her last words were almost screamed and with that, with tears blinded her vision, she grabbed her bag and ran out of the house.

Chloe ran after her cousin and found her curled up by the side of the house, sobbing and rocking backwards and forward. "I didn't mean it." She sobbed. "I love Ollie!" She pulled Chloe into a hug and cried onto her shoulder.

Meanwhile, in the house, Clark placed a hand on Oliver's hand and remarked "I'm sure she didn't mean what she said. It was just an initial reaction. She loves you and you know that, Oliver."

Oliver ran his hands through his hair and observed, in a cold voice, "People usually say what they're really thinking when they're upset."

Clark shook his head. "Lois could never hate you. She loves you, I know she does and she loves your children."

"Only time will tell."

Two days later, Robert was buried in Metropolis Crematory. Lois and Oliver stood together, with Laura and Ella between them. The two girls were inconsolable, much like their parents. Clark stood with his mum and children and near to them stood, Chloe and little Clark, both of whom were crying. Lucy and Lex were there also and Lucy kept trying to think of ways to comfort her sister. Their father, General Sam Lane, could not be there, but Chloe's dad was there, so at least they had an older adult there.

As Clark watched Lois, he saw that she was not crying; her sadness seemed to be beyond the point of crying, as did Oliver's. He knew that the two of them had not exchanged a word since Oliver had bore the news of their son's death. Clark knew that there was no way on this Earth that Lois hated her husband, but he selfishly wished that it were so.

A weak after Robert's funeral, when Clark and Chloe went to visit Lois and Oliver to see how they were, they saw Lois's suitcases on the sofa and guessed what was going on, though Chloe prayed that it was not so-that they were there for some other purpose.

"Lois, please," their attention was drawn to the couple, as Oliver followed Lois down the spiralling stair case and his wife stopped and faced him, "Lois, please, don't do this."

"Don't do what?" Her voice towards him no longer had anger, just sadness.

"If you hate me, I understand. I"-

She pressed her lips across his lips in order to stop him from talking and their eyes met. "Ollie, I've never hated you. I could never hate you, but loosing Robert has changed us, like losing Demi changed us."

There were tears once again in Oliver's eyes. "Please, give our relationship another chance. Please."

Lois's eyes filled with tears also and she whispered, "I can't." she walked past him and stood by the window, before turning around to face him. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore." Tears fell down her face now and she continued, "Call me selfish, but after something like this happens, you go down a downward spiral and I'm worried that you may not come back up."

Clasping her hand, Oliver remarked, "After Demi died, it was you and the kids who brought me back up." He inhaled a shaky breath. "Lois, I love you more than I can express. Is my love you not enough?"

"I love you too, Ollie, more than I can tell you, but I can't do this anymore. I'm going to go and stay with Lucy in Smallville for a while and I'll sort out the divorce papers, so that all you'll have to do is sign it."

"What about the kids-I mean, the girls?"

Lois shrugged. "I don't know: shared custody? I'll have them half the weak and you have them the other half? We'll work it out. I promise. You're not going to loose them too."

Oliver kissed her hands and murmured, "Please don't leave me. Please."

Lois pulled her hand free from Oliver's and looked down at the ground. A long silence followed, then Lois reached out to him and hugged him. He hugged her back and buried his head in her hair. They stood there, crying, holding onto each other, until Lois moved and they parted. She passed him her wedding ring, picked up her bags and walked over to the door.

Oliver turned to face her and watched her face disappear in the lift. He clutched Lois's wedding ring in his hand and broke down on the floor. He later went into his daughters' bedroom and played with them. He had a horrible feeling that that would be the last time he would ever see his beloved wife.

A couple of days later, when Clark was dropping something off at Chloe's flat, he saw Lois sitting on the sofa, eating ice-cream. Knowing that Chloe wasn't in, he was worried about his friend, so he went in and closed the door. He knew that Lois had been diagnosed with having a weak heart a couple of hours ago. He didn't know if Oliver or Laura and Ella knew.

"Are you ok, Lois?" he asked, concerned about her.

Looking at him in the eye, Lois asked, "Where did we go wrong, Clark?"

Clark stared at her, confused and asked her what she was talking about.

Lois stood up. "I mean, where did we go wrong, Clark? You and I? We love each other, so what happened? Ok, let's start from the beginning: I worked out that I had feelings for you after I broke up with A.C and you promised me that, someday, I would meet someone even more special. I thought that you didn't feel the same way. Then, I started dating Ollie and I fell in love with him. When he asked me to marry him, the reason I didn't want to say 'yes' straight away was because I wanted to be sure that there was no chance of anything happening between the two of us. I crept into the barn and I heard you tell Chloe that you could never love me, because I wasn't Lana, so I left and eloped with Oliver." All of these feelings had been building up for years and to be able to express them felt really good.

Walking over to her, Clark smiled, "Lois, after you left, I told realised that I was in love with you and I told Chloe that I loved you even more than Lana-that our love was different from the kind Lana and I had. I spent the entire night searching for you and then when I found out that you and Oliver were married, I was so heartbroken that I left for five years. I'm sorry that I tried to kiss you the night Jimmy died, but I was trying. The only reason I married Lana was because I knew that you loved Oliver and nothing would ever change that." He paused, then added. "One of the reasons Lana left me was because of you, but it was also because of my powers."

"Your powers?"

"Yes. I'm from a planet named Krypton. Before it exploded my parents-my biological parents-send me away in a ship and I landed on Earth and my parents adopted me. I have abilities, I can do things which people can only dream of."

A smile spread across Lois's face and she inquired, "What sort of things can you do?"

In order to show her, Clark whizzed over to her, collected her in his arms and took her into the bedroom, back to the main part of the flat, then back to the bedroom at superspead.

When he had finished, because of how he was holding her, their faces were almost touching and their eyes were searching each other, as they had done years ago.

As he let Lois out of his arms, she summarised, "So, basically, you're a Kyprotan and you can do things of which humans can only dream and you and I have been in love with each other for eleven years? How on Earth did we miss that? How and why did we not act, Clark? Why have we wasted our time? Why?"

Clark had no reply, but, deciding to finally act upon his love for Lois, he reached out and kissed her passionately on the lips. Lois took a while to register what was happening and then she kissed him back with equal passion and love, her hands going up to his hair and his hands going down to her waist. Their lips parted and their eyes met, both fully aware of what they were about to do.

They walked back into the bedroom and lay down, together, and it there, that Clark and Lois finally consummated their relationship. It was the most passionate act either of them had ever done and, afterwards, the two of them lay together, with Lois resting her head on Clark's chest and, ever since Robert's death, she felt completely happy, safe and loved. Oliver did love her, but Clark's love was far more passionate and her love for him was far more passionate than her love for Oliver.

The next morning, Chloe caught the two of them, although she had not been surprised; a part of her was almost relieved that they had finally given into their feelings and kissed and…done other stuff, but another part of her felt very sorry for Oliver. The former outweighed the latter, as she saw her cousin of the man whom she loved dearly, she realised that she had never seen Lois happier and she doubted that she ever would.

A couple of days later, Clark made his way to Oliver's home, as Oliver had a business proposal for him. Since that night, a weak ago, he and Lois had continued to see each other in that way. Clark felt very guilty, as he knew how much Oliver loved Lois and how much she loved him, but he reminded himself that Lois was going to request a divorce from Oliver. When that happened, the two of them could become husband and wife. Only Chloe and Martha knew of their relationship and, despite the circumstances, they were both very happy.

As Clark entered Oliver's flat, he saw Oliver put down his mobile phone and there were tears in his eyes. He must not have seen Clark, who was standing very close to him, as he turned to Laura and Ella and told them both to sit down. He took hold of their hands and began, "Laura, Ella, that was your Auntie Chloe. I'm afraid she had some very bad news."

"What is it, Daddy?" asked Ella, with fear in her voice and Clark could feel the fear and panic rising in his body and a part of him did not want Oliver to continue.

Oliver bowed his head and Clark could tell that he was close to breaking down, then he looked back up at his daughters and replied, "Your mum-she-she had a heart attack. She's dead, my darlings."

The two girls burst into tears and flung their arms around their dad, who cried along with them.

Clark felt dumb. How could Lois be dead? How could the woman he loved more than anything in the world be gone?

He texted Chloe and asked: 'What I heard Oliver tell the girls about Lois, is it true?'

A one-worded reply came back: 'Yes.'

With that one text, Clark fell apart and curled up into a ball on the sofa in Oliver's home and cried. He hoped that Oliver would be too preoccupied with his daughters to notice.


	5. Finale: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Finale: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Oliver did notice, however, but he had to take care of Laura and Ella. Half an hour later, Chloe, Lucy and Martha walked in, tear faces streamed with tears, Ella ran over to them and hugged them all, but Laura clung to her dad and wrapped her hands around his neck. Lucy told Oliver that his father-in-law and her dad, Sam Lane, was on his way back from a mission and that he should be there the day after tomorrow. Oliver nodded, but he did not seem to be paying much attention; he eyes were glazed and he was breathing very quickly.

Martha left Ella with Chloe and Lucy and walked over to her son, who was lying on the sofa, sobbing. She sat down next to him and stroked his hair, as she had done years ago when he had had a nightmare. But no amount of comfort could make him forget this nightmare: Lois was gone and there was nothing he could do to change that. She was gone, merely a weak after they had confessed their feelings and made love. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Martha whispered, in a low tone so that Oliver would not hear.

Without even thinking about how this would look to Oliver and to everyone else, Clark left the building and ran home. His children weren't there, so he was alone. He locked himself in his bedroom and cried and cried. He had never felt pain like this before and he was quite sure that he never would again. All he wanted was to see Lois's face again, to hear her voice, to feel the touch of her soft lips against his. What made Clark feel sick inside was the fact that he knew that Oliver would be thinking the same thing.

Laura finally let go of her dad and ran over to Chloe and Lucy, throwing an arm around her sister in a protective way. This made Oliver smile; Ella was the spit image of Lois.

His thoughts were interrupted when Martha walked over to him and asked, "How are you, Oliver?"

He looked down at his shoes, then back up at her. "I feel as if I'm in some sort of nightmare and I can't wake up. I just-I-I can't believe that she's gone." His voice cracked and tears appeared in her eyes. "Lois is gone and so soon after Robert. She-she deserved better. They both did and so did Demi. Gods, I love her so much!" Martha evolved him in a hug and he cried onto her shoulder.

Lucy came over and hugged her brother-in-law and she whispered, "Lois loved you so much, Oliver. I never say her happier than when she was with you and you're a great dad to those girls." She walked back over to her nieces and hugged them.

Knowing that Laura and Ella were being hugged and loved, Chloe walked over to Oliver and Martha and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Oliver. I'm so sorry." He opened his arms and she fell into them, crying into his chest.

"I'm sorry, too, Chloe. I know the two of you were close." He whispered back, as he hugged her. Since learning the news of his wife's death, his desire to be close to people had been heightened. As Chloe straightened up, he asked, "I think Clark was here before. Do you know where he is?"

Chloe and Martha exchanged a glance and the latter replied, "I think he's gone home; I think he needs to be alone for a while."

"Well, he and Lois were good friends." Oliver stated, smiling, before Ella came running over to him and he picked her up and hugged her. Chloe and Martha exchanged a look, as they knew that Lois and Clark had been far more than 'good friends', but there was no need for a recently widowed single father of two girls to know that.

The doors opened and General Sam Lane walked in, his face etched with grief and the shadow of death; he had now lost his beloved wife and one of his daughters. One think he knew from now on was that he was going to be very protective of Lucy, of her sons and of Lois and Oliver's daughters. As a father, he had never been keen on Lex Luthor, nor had he been keen on Oliver, but the love the young man displayed for his daughter had changed this. Sam had always, secretly, hoped that his elder daughter would have ended up with Clark Kent, but she had been happy with Oliver; Sam had always thought that they had not been destined for each other.

Pushing all of these memories and doubts aside, Sam embraced Lucy and Laura, before walking over to Oliver, Chloe, Martha and Ella. He hugged Chloe and kissed his granddaughter on the head. His eyes met with Oliver's. The young man extended his hand, balancing his youngest daughter with the other, and whispered, "I'm so sorry for your loss, sir."

Despite himself, General Lane could not help but laugh. "Son, you've been married to my daughter for nine years and you're the father of four of my grandchildren-I think you've earnt the right to call me by my first name." His expression turned serious again and he shook his son-in-law's hand and replied, "I'm sorry for your loss, too, Oliver. I know how much you love my daughter."

Ella nestled her head into her dad's neck for comfort and he hugged her back. She and Laura were now the most precious things in his world and the only family he had left after losing: his parents, his first wife, Demi, Robert and now Lois.

For the next couple of days, Clark stayed in his bedroom and did not go out for anything.

The funeral itself was very small. Clark thought that his children were too young to attend Lois's funeral and Chloe thought the same thing regarding her son. The people there were: Oliver, Laura, Ella, Sam Lane, Lucy and Lex and their sons, Chloe, Clark, Martha and Chloe's dad.

After the service, when the children were playing, Clark saw Lex go over to Oliver and he listened to the conversation. "Look, Oliver, I know that you and I have a history, but we're brothers and I don't want to lose that, neither does Luce." He smiled slightly. "So, what do you say, can we be friends?"

Much to Clark's surprise, Oliver nodded and shook Lex's hand. Lucy gave him another hug, then she and her husband walked out of the graveyard, leaving Clark and Oliver alone.

Clark knelt down and sprayed the earth over Lois's coffin, fighting back tears. Oliver sat down next to him and did the same, whispering something in Latin. Smiling slightly, Clark asked, "What does that mean?"

Staring down at his wife's grave, his friend replied, "A'shes to ashes, dust to dust, What begins in the earth shall return'. I think it makes sense."

There was a long silence, then Oliver sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help, Clark?"

Clark turned to face Oliver, tearing his eyes away from Lois's coffin and snapped, "How can you be so…ok? Your wife's just died! How can you be so calm?"

Rubbing his hands together, Oliver asked, "Have you ever loved someone so much that, without them, you don't know how to function, how to breathe, how to get up in the morning? I'm in that place now, but I have to keep going, because I have two people who rely on me and so do you-in fact you have five children who need you more than anything." There was another silence, then he cocked his head. "You didn't answer my question: Clark, have you ever loved anyone that much?"

For a while, Clark gave no reply, then he stood up and nodded. "Yes. I have. A long time ago. Oliver," he paused, then added, "If you need anything-and I mean anything-just give me a call. And Superman will always help out Green Arrow if he can." The two men smiled, then Clark walked away.

As he reached the door, he looked back and could not believe that Lois was buried in the ground, that she was gone. His own words from over nine years ago echoed in his head: _"Lois, I promise you, someday you'll meet someone even more special." _

He buried his heart when he buried her, but he also knew that he had two reasons to keep living: to protect and love his family and to save the world. Clark never regretted a single moment he had shared with Lois, as he had loved her more than he had even thought possible.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Clark had indeed found love again and two years after Lois's death, he and Chloe had started a relationship and they had now been married for a couple of months. Clark had adopted little Clark as his own son and Chloe had done the same thing with John, Cara, William, Lewis and little Lois. She and Clark also baby twin girls, whom they had named Rya Kent and Jessica Kent, the latter was named after Martha's mum. Martha now had eight grandchildren and she loved them all dearly. Starting a relationship with Chloe had been the best thing for Clark, as she had given him another reason to live. He still loved Lois, as Chloe still loved Jimmy, but they also knew that they needed to embrace what life had given them.

A year ago, Lana had come back to Smallville, as she had promised Clark she would, one day. She was now married to Jason Teague and they were expecting a baby. She had ensured that she established a relationship with her five other children, as she wanted to be a part of their lives. She and Jason were very happy together. She was glad to see Clark happy with Chloe and she had always suspected that they would end up together. Lana loved Jason more than she had ever loved Clark. She and Clark were now good friends and they remained close in terms of caring for their five children.

Clark's friendship with Oliver was still a solid one and the two of them were now like brothers, even closer than they had been when Lois had been alive. Oliver had not found anyone else with whom he wanted to share his life, but he had Laura and Ella. Whilst Clark had moved on and had built his wife with Chloe, Oliver had not moved on and still loved Lois as he had the day they have married.

However, this brotherly love was brought to an earth-shattering end, when Oliver, as the Green Arrow, was shot dead whilst on patrol. Laura and Ella, who were now 11 and 7, knew about their dad's dual identity and Laura always said that he died "doing what he loved." Following Oliver's death, Laura and Ella were left to the care of Clark and Chloe, who loved both of the girls as if they were their own.

John and Cara ended up following in their father's footsteps and become two of the world's greatest superheroes and both Laura and Ella became female versions of the Green Arrow.

Centuries later, the love triangle between Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Oliver Queen was one which every child knew, but the story was known by another name.

'For the sleepers of the quiet earth.'-Emily Bronte, 'Wuthering Heights'.


End file.
